In All Things

“In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

~1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJ)

It’s 8:30 a.m. as I begin typing this, and I haven’t had the best of starts to my day.  I slept later than what I really should have, will probably not have the time to get done what all needs doing, and am having to fight the urge to fall into old habits of self-recrimination and the like. 

But then I had the pleasure of reading the latest from my cousin Julie’s blog – Finding Beautiful – and was reminded of how we can give thanks in everything even when everything is not currently going in the best direction.  At the end of today’s post, Julie asked what good things her readers are grateful for these days.  So I decided to post mine here: 

  

   1.     I’m grateful for my family – via biology, marriage, and the church I’m a member of.  None of us are perfect, but we do our best to love and support each other.  Not everyone has that, and I’m glad that I do. 

   2.     I’m grateful for the good friends I have.  I’ve never been one to have a really large social circle, but the people I am friends with are, well, good people. 

   3.     I’m grateful to have people who fall under #1 and #2.  It’s like a bonus, a win-win. 

   4.     I’m grateful for fellow travelers on this road called life, some of whom I have never met in person, but their writings and such have encouraged and challenged me.  We may not agree on everything, but what is life if you’re surrounded by a bunch of ‘yes men’? 

5.     I’m grateful for this day.  Sure, the first bit of it wasn’t the greatest, but there are still approximately 14 hours left in it.  Still much that can be done, and still much to be thankful for. 

I hope you, too, have things to be grateful for today.